Afterwards
by Elvenstar Imrahil
Summary: What happened after the movie ended? M. Night never really conluded the story. This is what I believe took place Afterwards. First attempt at something slightly romanticky, so be nice. Sadness warning. R&R, please, just mind your language.
1. Sorrow

A/N: This is my first Village fic. I loved that movie so much and I really wasn't satisfied with the ending. . . So I wrote my own. There will be three chapters when I'm finished, and I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. Also, R&R for cookies!

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Sorrow

"You may run from sorrow as we have. Sorrow will find you. It can smell you."

***

_She stepped into the room, hands stretched out in front of her to feel for obstructions. The Elders clustered around her, offering their hands, guiding her, directing her to the side of the bed. She knelt down and grasped the hand of the person lying on the bed. She smiled as a slight haze tainted the darkness. "I'm back, Lucius."_

Ivy Elizabeth Walker lay in the mud, gasping for breath, her sightless eyes gazing skyward. Rain fell from the grey sky, soaking and chilling her. She lifted her trembling hands to her face. They felt clammy. Cold. She began to sob. She didn't care if she died. Nothing mattered anymore.

_She stayed by his side all through the rest of the day and through the night. And all through the day after that. The medicines were helping him, she was sure. He had moved twice, and his breaths were deeper than they had been. Finally, her father made her come home to rest. She didn't want to leave, but the knowledge that Lucius would be all right made the separation bearable._

_She hadn't realized how tired she was. Her father helped her drag herself into bed, and she was fast asleep within moments._

Ivy was losing consciousness. She could feel her senses dimming. She was so cold. So tired. Ready to die.

_As soon as she woke, almost four days later, she stumbled her way over to the one-room house where Lucius was. Ever since her cane broke, walking had become slightly more difficult._

_The rough wood of the door greeted her outstretched hands. She thought she could hear someone weeping within. A mixture of worry and curiosity flitted across her mind as she knocked. She heard the slight creak of hinges and a deep-colored blotch tinged the blackness as her father opened the door. He stood there for a moment, as if surprised to see her. His color flared brighter for an instant, then dimmed. He hugged her so tightly she could not breathe. "Oh, Ivy," he said, "I'm so sorry."_

_The crying stopped for a moment, then a choked sob reached her ears. Confused, she felt her way to the bedside. Lucius' hand was where it had been when she had returned with the medicines, and she grasped it, stroking it fondly before she realized. . . "Papa, why is he cold?"_

_Her father gave a sorrowful groan and began speaking her name over and over, pleading with her. She could barely understand what he was saying, something about festering and slowed breathing. A numbness had settled over her mind like an invisible barrier that separated her from the rest of the world. "Why is he cold?" she asked again. She knew the answer, but she refused to even consider it. Then, one word shattered the barrier as if it had been made of glass: "Dead."_

_She opened her mouth, but it was too dry to manage anything more than a croak, and something was caught in her throat. She felt Alice Hunt grasp her shoulders, felt her hot tears fall on her neck as the woman tried to offer whatever comfort a heartbroken mother could. At length, Ivy shrugged off Alice's hands and stood. Turning her pale gaze towards her father, she shook her head once, then fled the house._

_She ran and ran, far past her normal limit. Her father had called after her, but very soon his cries had faded and all she could hear was her own labored breathing and the rustle of the forest floor disturbed by her frantic scramble to get away from the Village. Finally, when her legs refused to carry her any more, she collapsed._

Ivy thought she heard something approaching her through the trees. The wind had picked up, and the biting rain was coming harder now. The world was fading. . .

_Ivy Elizabeth Walker lay in the mud, gasping for breath, her sightless eyes gazing skyward. Rain fell from the grey sky, soaking and chilling her. She lifted her trembling hands to her face. They felt clammy. Cold. She began to sob. She didn't care if she died. Nothing mattered anymore._

With rapidly diminshing senses, Ivy was vaguely aware of strong arms picking her up, and the rough fabric of a shirt rubbing against her cheek.


	2. Rumours

Rumours

A gentle warmth beckoned Ivy slowly back to the world of the living. Her eyes flickered slowly open and feeling crept hesitantly back into her limbs, as if it knew what awaited her there. Ivy felt beneath her and found herself lying on her back on a stack of folded blankets to cushion her from the stone floor. A merry crackling from a fire reached her ears, then the sound of steady breathing beyond it. The person drew a sharp intake of breath as Ivy directed her sightless gaze toward the sound. A strong colored haze greeted her. It occurred to her half-asleep brain that she did not know this person. She had met everyone in the Village, and only two people had hazes, and this color was not her father's or Lucius's.

_Lucius. . ._

It all came rushing back. With a groan that she had not meant to utter, she turned her eyes back up and let her stinging eyes stream. She screamed her grief to the sky, the person with the color forgotten completely as her mind again numbed itself to everything but her loss. "_Why?!_" she shrieked. "You left me alone! I _hate_ you!" As her screams subsided to sobs, she spoke his name over and over, as though by doing so, he would suddenly appear and it would all have been a terrible, terrible dream. Finally, she whispered, "I loved you. You left. How coud you do that to me?"

"You are awake?"

Ivy gasped in surprise. She was jolted violently back to her present situation by the rasping voice of the color-person. He, for it was a man by the sound of his voice, had a strange accent. After the initial shock had worn off, Ivy attempted to reply, but found her voice had fled due to her screams. She coughed and found herself in another bout of sobs.

"I am sorry," the man said with sincerity. He pressed what felt like a flask into her hand. "Drink. It will help."

Hoping it would soothe her raw, parched throat, Ivy gulped the liquid. It felt like cool water, yet had a sweetness to it. _Like berries,_ she thought. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it occured to her that the drink may have been poisoned, but she was hardly in any mood to care. If she died, she'd be with her beloved Lucius. Her eyes filled with tears again. "Oh, Lucius. . . Lucius," she rasped, her voice partway recovered, "Why did you leave me?" She gave a sob that sounded more like a cough, then her eyes fixed the color-person in a piercing glare. "Why did you save me? I didn't want to be."

The man seemed taken aback. "I--I. . . am sorry," he stammered and trailed off in a manner that only made Ivy more miserable. He started to say more, but she cut him off with a furious, "Quiet!" that stung her throat. She then rose quickly to her feet, but her legs would not hold her and she sat down hard on the blankets. The whole situation was absolutely infuriating. She couldn't walk, it hurt to speak, and she dared not think, lest her thoughts turn to wistful dreams that would be crushed cruelly the second she returned to reality. She hugged herself, determined not to cry again, and rocked back and forth, expressing her anger, sorrow and pain in inarticulate grunts.

The man walked over and sat beside her. He took her hand in his, but she jerked it away quickly. "Don't touch me," she whispered, so quietly and hoarsely, she wasn't sure he had heard. His hands were rough and callused, like Lucius's, only more so. Her eyes burned more furiously than before, and she couldn't hold the tears in. Why did the world have to be so cruel, reminding her constantly of what she could no longer have? She took another drink from the flask she still held, and her sobs slowed. When she felt confident she could speak, she turned to the man. "Who are you?"

The man looked away and said quietly, "My name is Arrik." He waited for her reply, but none came. "You are?"

"Ivy," she breathed. "What do you want?"

The man, Arrik, was silent for a long time, thinking. Finally he said, "I want to know who Lucius is." A pause. "He was dear to you?"

Ivy made a sound between a cough and a groan. _Why?_ She sobbed tearlessly for a minute, then composed herself. "Lucius," her voice trembled as she spoke, "is dead."

There. She had said it. She had acknowledged it. She had accepted it. It _hurt. _She surrendered to the hopelessness of it. With depressing finality, it was over. She leaned against Arrik and breathed out. Her chest ached. Her throat hurt. She felt empty, spent; cold and dead inside.

"No."

He had said it so quickly and with such certainty, Ivy at first thought she had imagined it. "What?" she asked.

"He is not dead."

"Yes, he is. My father--" she paused, "He said." Had he? Was there even a slight possibility that she had not heard everything? _Don't be silly, Ivy!_ she scolded herself. _He's gone. He's not coming back. Ever._

"You do not smell of death. Sickness, not death."

Ivy felt as though her innards had been yanked out._ What--?_ She fell to the ground, trying to distance herself from Arrik. When his color moved closer, she cringed and scrabbled away. "Stay away from me!" she shrieked. Then, in a horrified whisper, she asked, "What are you?"

"Ivy. . ." Arrik came over to where she lay and took her hand, and this time, she did not resist. "Please do not scream." He lifted her hand, quivering with adrenaline, to his face.

With a sickening jolt as she felt his wolfish features, Ivy drew a breath to scream.

***

"There did exist rumours of creatures in the woods."

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A/N: Ah, so this Arrik is not quite what he seems. . .


	3. Love

A/N: I dedicate this last chapter to you few who actually took the time to write up an encouraging review for me. I thank you, Hopeisabluebird, Ariana Silversnare, and I sincerely hope that this end lives up to whatever expectations you may have had!

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Love

"The world moves for love. It kneels before it in awe."

***

Ivy stumbled down the hill, towards the Village, her mind still clouded by everything that had occurred over the past several days. Foremost in her thoughts was Lucius Hunt. . .

_"Lucius is sick," the strange dog-man who called himself Arrik told her, "but he is not dead. The sickness is. . ." he fumbled for the right word, "purging the infection from his body. You must go."_

_Ivy said nothing, but hope flared within her. She was still unnerved by Arrik, now that she knew what he was, but he had done nothing to harm her._

_After a moment, Arrik spoke again, "If he loves you as you love him, he will live, but you must go to him."_

_"When will I be able to walk again?" Ivy asked quietly._

_"Soon, if you rest."_

_Ivy nodded, and something wet dripped onto her hand. She brought hand up to her face and felt wetness on her cheeks. She had not realized she was crying. . ._

Shortly after Ivy had begun hearing gasps of surprise as she entered the Village, her sister, Kitty, ran up and hugged her tightly. "Where have you been?" she demanded vehemently. "You look awful! What happened? I didn't even get to see you before you ran off! I thought a creature might have killed you! You look horrible!"

Ivy found herself laughing at her sister, who continued to demand an explanation. . .

_"Try to stand," Arrik instructed, gripping Ivy's hand firmly. Ivy obeyed, pulling herself to her feet. Arrik loosened his grip. Ivy wobbled for a moment, then steadied. She gave a small smile._

_Arrik then placed a hand on her elbow and guided her around the clearing, then back to her makeshift bed._

_With Arrik's help, she repeated the exercise throughout the day until she could do it on her own. . ._

"Take me to Lucius." Ivy's tone was suddenly grave.

"All right." Kitty took her younger sister's hand. "But promise you'll tell me what happened?"

"Just take me to him," was all Ivy could say. She felt hot tears slide down her dirt-smeared cheeks as her sister led her away. . .

_Ivy recovered her strength quickly. After only two days, Arrik had deemed her well enough to travel. They had set off, Arrik leading her by the hand, sometimes carrying her when she needed a rest. They were silent as they travelled. Finally, after several long hours had passed and Ivy felt she would faint from exhaustion, the dog-man stopped and released her hand._

_"Here," Arrik rasped. He pressed a walking stick into Ivy's shaking hands. "We are near the edge of the forest. Go straight on and you will find your home."_

_"Why can't you take me any farther?" Ivy inquired._

_Silence fell, then: "My people promised to stay out of your people's lives."_

_"But. . ." Ivy tried to order her confused thoughts into a coherent sentence. "You saved me."_

_Arrik's color flared for a moment. "It does not matter," he said grimly. He then grasped her shoulders and pointed her in the direction of the Village._

_Ivy heard a rustling as Arrik started back for the clearing that was his home. For a moment, she just stood there, pale eyes staring towards the edge of the forest. She drew a breath and turned her head. "Arrik," she called softly. The rustling stopped. "Thank you."_

_There was silence for a moment, then the rustling started again, fading slowly as Arrik moved deeper into the woods. . ._

Ivy stumbled slightly as she entered the house and Kitty paused to steady her before leading her through to another room. A sudden gasp from Alice Hunt revealed her presence there. "Oh, my goodness, Ivy! You're back!" she exclaimed in surprise, but Ivy hardly heard her. Through the black and grey of her world there glimmered a hauntingly and gloriously familiar warm color.

The walking stick slipped from Ivy's numb fingers and clattered to the ground. She drew her hand away from her sister's and took a few tentative steps towards the color-person sitting on the single bed in the room, her heart hammering in her chest. ". . . Lucius Hunt?" she asked, the incredulous tone in her voice surprising her.

The silence stretched on for what felt like hours, then: "Yes." A breath, barely audible, but she had heard it. More tears came, tears of joy -- and shame. She held out her hand in front of her, and felt his calloused fingers grasp it and pull her gently into an embrace. She just sat there and cried, her beloved Lucius holding her.

"I'm so sorry, Lucius," she sobbed, miserably. "I'm sorry I ran away. I should have stayed, even if you had died. I'm sorry I fled like a coward."

Ivy heard Lucius draw a somewhat ragged breath as he held her tighter and she realized that he, too, was weeping. "I'm sorry, Lucius," she repeated in a whisper.

He replied with a whisper of his own, "You're back, Ivy."

She nodded, and knew that all was forgiven.

Fin.

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A/N: If you could be troubled to submit a review containing your thoughts, I would love you forever! Also, I feel I should do a short epilogue or something. . . What do you think?


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